MovieChat Forums > Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1975) Discussion > Two proposed improvements

Two proposed improvements

posted 9 years ago by jimbodden
6 replies | jump to latest

If I could go back in time and advise Ormsby and Clark as they wee creating this strange, wonderful movie, I would have two major suggestions.

1. Make it obvious that certain characters (all?) were tripping harrrrrd on LSD. This goes hand in hand with the early 70s hippy/occult vibe and puts much of the dialogue in better perspective. I'm thinking of Anya's blathering about the beauty of the dead corpse followed by her freak out...

2. Turn it into a movie shoot instead of theatre troupe party. The pranks in the beginning would be filmed to get real reactions. The way it is, the only motivation the characters have is staisfying their *beep* boss's whims for an evening of "fun," but with Alan as a film director, they are there working, and may even be impressed with the method of his madness since it produced real shocks from them. They are more likely to be active participants in the silliness that eventually leads to their demise.

[–] antonasmodeus 9 years ago

I love the movie the way it it but you do make some great suggestions, especially the part of them being on LSD. Trying to escape ravenous zombies while tripping is a ungodly nightmare unto itself!

[–] motter25420-153-699254 9 years ago

I just thought some overall better writing, it's not like the people were terrible actors, fine enough for a low budge horror film, but the dialogue was just terrible.

I will always still love this film, saw it as a kid and found it scary, even now as I watch it the Zombie stuff is pretty creepy, the house is a neat setting, all that, just man, I'm not asking for Oscar material on the dialogue but come on, they could have done a little better.

[–] antonasmodeus 9 years ago

I love it too! It's my fave zombie movie after Romero's NOTLD and Fulci's "Zombie". The late great Bob Clark and writer/actor Alan Ormsby really outdid themselves with this film. And now that Halloween is coming soon, it makes for perfect late-night viewing after the trick-or-treating has ended.

[–] sjm519 8 years ago

I too love this movie. I'm 50 years old and remember seeing it in the mid-70's shortly after it's initial release, which put me at around 10 years old when I saw it. My brother and I watched it (two years older than me) and it scared the hell out of us at the time. I'm watching it right now, yes also in the spirit of Halloween. Now I can watch it in a different light, it's not as scary as when I was younger. Back then a movie like that made a big impression. Almost makes me laugh now to think how
much it affected us back then. I bought the DVD a few years ago for sentimental value. It does being back fun memories.

[–] bok602 9 years ago

I agree with your first suggestion completely - it would definitely explain most of Alan's behavior. I think that Anya's motivation was more spiritual/naive/innocent; but I would not put it past Alan to slip LSD into everyone's drinks at the cast party.

As for turning it into a film shoot, I have misgivings that it would have turned into one of those really stupid "found footage" films rather than the quirky and really effective chiller that it is.

Perhaps if the film shoot idea were introduced just long enough to set up the premise and then dropped quickly, it would work.

"If you don't know the answer -change the question."

[–] ElectricWarlock 7 years ago

I wouldn't change anything about it. For me, it's a perfect film as it is and I consider it to be the best zombie movie ever outside of George Romero's Night, Dawn, and Day.